WebcamViewer – View your webcam on Window 7

If you ever use Window XP + Webcam, you probably know that you can view the webcam under My Computer, without any application or webcam software.

Unfortunately, under Window Vista and Window 7, this feature has been removed, and if you want to have a view on your webcam, you will need a webcam software. Therefore I decide to develop a very simple webcam software called WebcamViewer that enable you to have a view on your webcam. You can download the software from the link at the bottom of this post.

WebcamViewer is a very simple click-and-run application, where you don’t have to install the application. Simply download the exe file and run the exe file to use the software. You can store it inside your harddisk or you can carry it in your pendrive, and run it on any PC you want.

The Interface is simple, the first thing you have to do is to choose your Webcam. At the top left of the interface, choose the appropriate webcam. Please take note that some user might experience having “Google Camera Adapter” under the list, which is not the real webcam, choose the correct one.

After choosing the webcam, you will need to choose the desire resolution and refresh rate for the webcam. Click on the list at the right side of the webcam selector to view the available resolution and refresh rate for the selected webcam. For example “640×480 30” means that the width of the image is 640 pixel, the height of the image is 480 pixel and the refresh rate of the image is 30 frame per second. Please take note that the available resolution and refresh rate will be different for different model of webcam.

Now, click Connect, and you should have the live video from your webcam.

To disconnect, simply click Disconnect button or you can click the X at the top right of the window to close the application. To capture an image from your webcam, you can simply double click on the image, and the captured image will be store at the same directory as the exe file. A folder with the name of the webcam (Integrated Webcam in my PC) will be created at the directory of the exe file. All the captured image will be stored in the “Integrated Webcam” folder, and the filename will be the date and time of the capture. You can also use WebcamViewer to view more than one webcam at the same time. Simply run 2 copy of WebcamViewer (after having WebcamViewer running, simply double-click on the WebcamViewer.exe file AGAIN to have the 2nd copy of the application), and connect to different webcam on each copy of WebcamViewer.

Have a try!

Application Error

If you ever come across with this problem, “The Application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000135). Click on OK to terminate the application.”, you will need to install Microsoft .NET Framework to continue using this software. You can download Microsoft .NET Framework at the download link provided at the end of this article.

Hi there, the captured image will be stored at the same folder as the exe file. For example, if the WebcamViewer.exe is being located at your desktop, then a folder will be created at your desktop and the captured image will be stored inside the newly created folder. And for your information the name of the newly created folder will be base on the webcam name which you see at the webcam selector list.

My colleagues at work used one called booru webcam but it has not been updated for vista or win 7. It is pretty cool because it has a transparency feature on it and I believe you can set it to always be on top. May give you some ideas of functionality to add to your software. Thanks for developing it. Appreciate it.

Currently, it is not able to configure the camera driver using WebcamViewer. The only thing you can configure is the frame per second, but for the brightness, color and extra setting is still not added to WebcamViewer. And thanks a lot for the suggestion in all the features, more settings for the webcam will be available on the newer version.

Thanks, that was just what I was looking for 🙂 Can’t believe they’ve canned this simple functionality in Win 7… was sure I’d seen it when I started to dig thru’ Win 7, but that must’ve been memories of Win XP 😉

Suggestions:

As somebody have already mentioned before me it would be nice if it could grab video as well as pictures… mkv would be nice but even good old avi will do 😉

Also it would be an obvious idea to be able to browse to wherever you’d like to save the picture/video. I’d personally prefer to be able to save to my desktop and not having to dig thru’ the folder on my flashdrive where I’ve installed it.

Thanks, this is a handy little app for simply viewing what your webcam is seeing.

However, it seems to have memory issues. While viewing my Logitech C510 at 1600×896-24, memory usage by the app jumps up at about 100MB per second. Sometimes it will “reset” after a little bit and release a bunch of memory (i.e. jumped from 1.5GB down to 200MB) and other times it seems to just keep growing until Windows kills the app for me (I’ve seen it use over 2GB before I killed it).

I have a build in webcam on my laptop (hp pavilion) But i cant choose any webcam with this program. Its like the webcam doesnt exists. My webcam worked with vista but since i have win7 not anymore. He doesnt detect it all… 🙁

Well thats the problem. There arn’t any webcamdrivers available for win7. (hp pavilion dv6700)
The last ones were for vista only… And device manager doesnt reconize my webcam at all. So maybe my webcam died?

To get the captured photo, you will need to first find out the downloaded file. The photo will be stored together with the exe file. If you are having problem finding the exe file, maybe you can try to right click on the download link and select “Save Link As…” then your browser should pop out a directory browser that let you choose the directory to store the download file.

Yes, you can actually run multiple copy of WebcamViewer for multiple cameras. After you have one WebcamViewer running, double click on the exe file again to run the 2nd WebcamViewer, then you can use these 2 different WebcamViewer to connect to different webcam.

hello,
I’m using a HP TX1000 laptop with windows7.
And I’ve downloaded your software but, the problem i’m facing is that the list containing the camera names and the resolution options is EMPTY.
please help me asap.

i found this very useful,but i am unable to view the pictures taken.everytime i have to get webcam viewer exe from winzip folder and when i dbl click photos it takes picture but i am unable to locate the file to find the pictures.help.

I have a Philips Toucam Pro. This wonderful cam has a spec far higher than many later, much more expensive, cams. Then I moved to Win 7 I discovered that Philips were not supporting 64 bit drivers for this excellent camera. They advised me to buy a new cam. No way ! The link below shows how to modify the X64 driver setup files for another Philips product to make it work with a Toucam Pro under Win 7.

To all of those who are lost on how to get it so you can see the captured pictures , you must first extract the exe to a folder of your choosing and not just running the exe from within the archive. that should help.

I’m using dell inspiron N5010 loaded with win 7 64bit. It has got some type of integrated webcam. I can see the driver fine in device manager but when I start your software and try connecting it shows device in use but it isn’t.

I think you have place the application under some protected folder. You can try to run the apps by right click on the apps and choose “Run as administrator” or you can try to move the application to non protected folder like My Documents or Drive D maybe.

Unable to create file.
I’ve tried running it in c:/, and My Documents, and a folder I created under c:/. and I get the same error. “Unable to create file”.
All locations have full rights for system, admin and user”me”. No other users are registered.
The “USB PC Camera” folder is created at each location so I don’t think it’s a rights issue. But the captures are not saved. “Unable to create file”
Running the exe “as administrator” doesn’t help.
I am running Vista Home Premium SP2. I have Microsoft .Net 3.5 SP 1 installed.
I’d be happy to help diagnose this issue. I believe other people have had the same problem.
I appreciate your help.

FYI:
My use case:
I’m presenting in a web conference. I only have sketches on paper or a whiteboard. I COULD snap them with my iPhone and upload to my computer, one at a time, but how cool it would be to just point my iPhone to the sketch as I’m changing it and display that on my desktop with your neat little tool (in full resolution) and share my desktop on the web conference!

Now (once you fix this issue) all I need is a little travel “tripod” for my iPhone! ; – )

Just want to say thank you for the posting (and exe) this has saved hassle trying to get some software from so called professional manufactures to work – gonna share this link with so many friends! cheers

That is common problem when the application is located under the folder that required administrator right to create file. You can either place the application at other folder that do not require administrator right or run the application as administrator.

We use a laptop and a beamer in church to display the lirics. Today we had a group of children performing, but de people in the back couldn’t see the children. A wanted to use the webcam and the beamer so everybody could see the children, but in Windows 7 there’s no program for the cam. Thank you so much for making this program. Next time we can use the cam!

Thanks this is a nice portable viewer and good troubleshooting tool. I’m surprised by the number of people that expect you to personally support it and solve all their problems as if your time has no value, yet you are still nice enough to answer quite a few questions. I liked the one that wanted you to “e-mail it to me” when there’s already a download link. Not to mention someone wants you to give them the source code. I hope you get quite a few donations, it’s certainly worth it.

Great piece of software, thank you.
Is there any way to
a) Maintain webcam window over all other windows
b) Show only the webcam image, not the window frame or the controls of the WebcaViewer
It would be perfect for doing screencast…

Apparently i’m having the same problem. Folder is created, but ‘unable to create file’ is displayed whenever i double-click on the video. Using win7 x64. On all the x86’s i have tried it, it works flawlessly.

Try to check the directory you store the application. In some directory, the application will requires administration right to create file. You can try to run the application with administration right, right click on the application and choose “Run as Administration”.

just visiting your page, got a avg warning about some infected php code on the site,,,, a pity on a page that offers a useful tool like yours…
AVG identifies it as an exploit of your wordpress installation, unfortunately I closed the warning popop and it was not logged, so I cannot give you the name of the infected php file…

Hey man great application. Im a videographer and just wanted to monitor my camera via a usb capture device. This works great so far. Just want to thank you for your time in building this and offering it for free. Thanks man. If you are ever in sacramento, ca i owe you a beer!!!

Eric, so sorry to say that, the “always on top” feature is not implemented on the software. Anyway, thank you for the suggestion and that feature will be considered in the newer version of WebcamViewer. Thanks.

Thank’s a lot. really love these small and powerful .exe programs that work without any instalation!!!
I would very much like to be able to save a captured image in different formats, e.g. the simple .bmp. Could such an option be added??

This is very cool application , i used it with windows 7 for long time , but since a week it show error message that webcame viewer stop working , i try debug or other method but didnt helpful . i have netframe work 4.5 version so no problem about it .

excellent work! does work and is very simple to use. i needed something like this to pair with join.me webcasting, but unfortunately, the developers did not include video conferencing, unlike cisco webex.

the fact that only a few participants can join in webex limits my audience, that is why i switched to join.me that could handle way much more participants, albeit the lack of video. but with this, it makes up for it.

Awesome and simple. I can’t believe i had to spend about 2 hours searching for a “usb webcam app” and only found bloaded expensive apps. You’ve proved again that simple is better and newer is NOT better. This is AWESOME. Gracias.

These past few years, on and off, I’ve been searching for simple webcam software that I can use to get quick snapshots off of my laptop’s integrated webcam. Every time I’d found one, there was SOMETHING I didn’t like or didn’t work. This is excellent. Thank you so much.

Having said that-is this still in development?

I hope you don’t mind me recommending a few features I think would make this perfect 😀

Amazingly simple and effective piece of software. I am using Techsmith Snagit and wanted to add a small thumbnail with live video from my webcam during my presentations and on your website I found exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much !!!

Very cool… Maybe a $5 version with no frame and an option for always on top… This way the view would be on top of a Powerpoint presentation and look clean… That would be VERY cool. Thanks… Please email me if/when you do this…

Hello
Thank you for this simple but special software.
I had a project for my university in which i will use a similar functions, but with two cameras. The problem is that when i choose the desired camera, conflicts occurs and the capture window is destroyed.
Can u please help me with the main functions to use or if u can give me the VB source code so i can compare between the two codes.
I can pay for this code but please i need some help.
Regards

Just to echo what has been said, the program is a really good easy to use solution. The ability to hide the margins however would be really useful for my particular need. We are trying to capture 2 webcams at the same time and screen capture the result. Having the ability to switch off the margins would make the join really seamless and look more professional. Would this be a possibility in a future update?

Fantastic, just what I needed… and great that it works in Windows XP too. My device manager fails to see my webcam properly and I get a ‘preview failed’ error, but WebcamViewer worked a treat! Many thanks for making this free software.

First: THANK YOU. I really needed exactly what you made, here. (I’m using it to view a webcam that I shove through a small hole in my ceiling, to peer into a crawl-space. I’m rewiring my house.)

My feature requests, and suggestions:
1) I can guess why you don’t want to have to remember any settings. Indeed, the portability of this viewer, and the lack of an “Install” ritual, are rare and valued. But I’d welcome even a single-session-only ability to specify the location of the screen-shot folder.

2) Probably pretty easy: the ability to flip (mirror) the image. Also to rotate.

But I have no right to make any demands. I’m primarily posting to express my respect and gratitude.

PS: It works GREAT in both Win-7 (x64) and also Win-XP (yes, XP, because XP’s built-in viewer gives only a small, low-res image).

Hi, the application only display the webcam image on your screen, no other people can view it. You can check your internet data transmission while running the application to make sure that there is no data being transferred to internet from the application.

I love the application! It does exactly what I need. Short, simple, and to the point. No endless features, just the clean cut essentials. I’m actually working on a similar program and having some issues with connecting to the webcam on USB webcams running the usbvideo.sys driver. If you could e-mail me at js7289@yahoo.com and would be willing to offer a little help with connecting to the webcam or if you would be willing to send the source code, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

Hi! first of all, congratulations for your program, is simple and easy to use!

I am using the program Webcam viewer v1.0.0.0, but it appears a memory error when I use the program with a HD Webcam.

This error appears both in WinXP and Win7 x32 (this last with a intel I7 and 4gb memory).

I noticed that when the program is running with a resolution of 1024 x 576 @30fps and above, it appears an error related to the .Net Framework. It says that there is insufficient memory. From lower resolutions the program works well

With resolutions of 1024×576 takes about 30 seconds to appear the error
With resolutions of 1280×720 takes about 15 seconds to appear the error
With resolutions of 1920×1024 takes about 5 seconds to appear the error

I checked the amount of memory that the program uses and I realised that the memory increases more and more till the PC cannot work.

With resolution of 1920×1024 my Intel i7 PC gives the error when webcamviewer arrives at 2.8GB of RAM memory.

it is possible to solve this? I think that the Webcamviewer does not manage properly the use of RAM memory. If you do not mind,can I ask the source code?

Thank you for using WebcamViewer. We are actually aware of the memory issue for the application. We are working on the solution for that error, and hopefully it can be fixed in the newer version of the application. Thank you.

hello, i cant find a way to contact you via email, but i was wondering how far away a v2 of this great lil app is, because for the systems ive tried it on, it cycles on memory usage, so it will use all available memory, even on a 12gb system itll take over 10gb of it and then cycle back down and roll slowly upwards again, in 5 minute cycles, so that other programs dont have memory to use. thanks again, i look forward to a future version where it just uses a moderate amount of memory…

I couldn’t find an application quite like as simple as this anywhere else. However the memory consumption is a problem. Is there a paid version that doesn’t have such an issue? I don’t need more features just something slim, simple, low footprint and will be easy to deploy to several hundred people. Please contact me if there is a paid version or a bounty to create this bug fix.

Hi, I keep getting the message “Cannot connect device. The device may be in use” I have no other programs that use a webcam. Win7, 1.5 year old Dell desktop, if I try all the different resolutions it will finally connect, how can I connect the viewer to the webcam right away?

Hi, nice aplication!
Can I ask you what kind of dll have used to get webcam?
I have developed an application that should intercept the web cam and instead remains a black screen.
Your application instead work very well.
I have used C# and avicap32.dll, and you?

Software works great, but I need a hands off launcher for this program. I want to be able to start your program from the command line , have it automatically connect to a camera and position the view window at a specific place on the screen. For example with parameters instead of button clicks, for example:
WebcamViewer.exe -c1 -s2 -x100 -y50

where with the above parameters the program will automatically connect when started to the first camera in the list, at the size specified by the second choice in the second drop down box, and the view window is positioned at (100,50) of the screen.

Well done! Nice little utility. I miss that cam feature from XP.
You’ve gotten some good feature suggestions, like the command line params, and I ‘d like to suggest the ability to take a capture by pressing a key in addition to the double click thing.
But what I’m really post to ask you is if you would consider releasing the source code for this app!

Great little viewer with ability to capture and save still image.
However it would be even better, if the program be updated to capture and save video as well…
Guess this will then be a complete app.
TQ

Hi ! Found this with Google.
Just what I needed to focus a baulky new Kinobo USB B3 HD webcam whose free utility software refreshed the preview image *too slowly* under Win 8.1u1 to enable precise manual focussing.
Thanks to you, it is ‘Job Done’ !!

I’m noticing the memory cycling also. Normally it’s taking about 400M but if you minimise it or take away focus it goes into this runaway mode where it uses all available memory. Not really an issue if you’re using the app for it’s intended purpose.

i have installed new window 7 and cannot instal webcame viewer softwear and when i try to intall framenetwork softwear message shown that already installed as part of your os.but my came is not working on dell lattitude d620

I really like using version 1.0 because it’s just a simple webcam image box without all the other functions embedded into the box, which creates clutter around the periphery.

For my purposes, I need to be able to resize the webcam image box/window however I like and move it to where I want while I teach online from lessons scanned into a PDF file, and WebcamViewer allows me to do just that.

WebcamViewer allows me to place the webcam box right next to the PDF file. But more ideally, I would like to place the webcam box right on top of the PDF file in the upper left corner while I’m scrolling within the PDF file. Is there a way to make the webcam box always stay in front?

thanks it works. but i have no folder. no integrated webcam folder. a search on files modified today finds no
pictures, even though i took several snaps. the screen paused. but nothing captured can i find.
thanks.jim

Thanks! Very useful. I have noted that after running for a while, it will report an unhanded exception and I’ll have to quit and restart. It might be my power savings scheme because it doesn’t happen often if I am actively using the computer.

Nice work! I may have found an important issue though. There is a memory leak that occurs when the viewer is occluded behind another window or also when the viewer is minimized (anytime the viewer is connected and its window is not visible). It then consumes memory without releasing it until all available system memory is used. Otherwise it looks like the program consumes memory steadily, but then releases it at regular intervals and my system (Windows 7) stays stable.

Otherwise, great app. Since Windows 7 eliminated direct viewing of USB camera’s video streams via Windows Explorer (USB cameras used to appear in My Computer and could be used without 3rd party software), a good lightweight USB camera viewer is needed and VLC just doesn’t fit the bill :).

It works on my desktop but on on the laptop that already has a camera built it. When I try to connect to a second USB camera I get the message cannot connect because the device is in use, which clearly is an error. I checked the USB driver for the camera – no error messages. I am not having this problem when I use the same camera and same software on my desktop Any suggestions?

Hi all, the version 2 having quite number of problem. Now building new version totally overhauled version. Coming soon stay tuned. V2 not compatible with all type of computer. Sorry for the delay , working on something else.

As this is one of my “USB toolbox” programs, I am glad to hear you may perhaps grace everyone with another version of this simple utility. The 1.0 version has worked just fine for a long time. And has assisted with many quick fixes for me. Good luck with all your projects!

Great app! Exactly what I was looking for. Sadly version 1 does not support borderless fullscreen mode and the other two versions don’t seem to work with my camera. Version 2 says, that the selected resolution is higher than the screen resolution and version 3 says, that the hardware does not support snapshot and won’t disply any picture… Version 1 is still the best. Anyway you can implement the fullscreen mode into that version?

It is a great software. Can you provide an option to keep the window on top in the left upper corner. This would be very useful to project the speaker’s live video during a live powerpoint presentaion.